Here's a rework of my story after disappearing for God knows how long. I have no excuses for those who knows, but please enjoy yourself here as much as you can.
-oOo-
"What?"
An unintentional murmur escaped Ozpin as he somehow found himself in a strange big and dark room. He blinked, and began to lift the mug in his hand to his face and inspect it with curiosity. Unless that his knowledge around caffeine has failed him, he was pretty sure that coffee doesn't cause any harmful effects on his psyche.
So how did he ended up in this place?
Ozpin tried to look around, but he can hardly make anything through his dark surroundings. He could barely see anything in here, let alone having any idea where in all Remnant he was right now. Though, this seat feels like heaven compared to anything he ever sat on, which was enough to tell him this place was anything but his office.
Once again, how did he ended up in here?
"What?"
"What the hell..?"
"Huh?"
In this lonely darkness, his ears idly caught confused voices that sounded suspiciously familiar.
But before he could call for who he think those are, lights suddenly filled the room followed by a booming noise of clicking that echoed through the spacious room.
"Headmaster...?"
"Before you're asking, allow me to apologize, Glynda. I was more than likely as clueless as you are. This place was rather comfy I would say." Ozpin commented.
"Gee, I was hoping the great, old wizard would have any idea how did we got teleported here." His ever sardonic agent, Qrow sighed dejectedly, "Why did something 'magical' always happened when my life was a about to take a better route? I'm just a second away from getting that gorgeous barmaid's numbers, y'know..."
"I shouldn't have been surprised to find out that you got kidnapped by a wench, Qrow Branwen." Voice icy and cold suddenly quipped at him.
"Ah, does that mean you ended up in here because a handsome bastard seduced you? Or is it because you're hving an affair with ol' Tin Can Jimmy over there?" And Qrow returned fire tenfold.
"Wha-"
"Stop being childish you two. Especially you, Qrow." Before the situation could escalate further, unfortunately, James cut in and stopped his second to be embarrassed further. Meh, killjoy he would say. "Do you truly have no idea what happened, Ozpin? Just to let you know, I was in my office before this, which coincidentally also existed within the Atlas's military headquarters, one of the most defensive place in all Remnant. That does raise some suspicions, don't you think?"
Ozpin calmly looked at the man before taking his time to think and sip his drink, "One thing I can say for sure is that, this ordeal is definitely magical."
"Then-"
"But I can't, for some unfathomable reason, feels magical energy, or even the slightest residue of it within this place. And as far as I'm aware there doesn't exist a magical spell that would allow it's user to teleport people without needing to open up a portal. Another thing to note though, I can't really feel myself being in danger here."
"Wait, you're actually right." Qrow continued, "I mean this is pretty much feels like some lucid dream I got after getting shitfaced before I woke up with killer headache. As far as I remember, I'm half sober when I flirted with that beautiful lass."
"So what are we supposed to do now?" Glynda questioned, discomfort and wariness painting her frowning face as she scrutinized him, "I failed to contact anyone with my scroll, not even our SOS system."
Ozpin sipped his coffee again, "Wait and see, Glynda. Doing something rash is idiotic, especially when someone, or something that would most likely possess the answers to our questions has appeared before us."
And that was the cue for them all to turn their heads to the front of the room. It was the cue for Ozpin to actually went serious and took alert of his surroundings in case things went south. The cue for the host of the day to greet them with smile and hospitality.
"Ah, apologies for the late welcome, but it's just very interesting to see you all jolly fellow conversing with each other like that." It smiled, friendly and predatory at the same time, "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Noth Lyv. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
-oOo-
Ruby had to admit, she's not the type to have anything planned for the weekends unless she was invited to something, which rare on itself. Such was the woes of the nerdy, quirky girl with a problem for social interaction. Not like she's complaining or anything, but weekends rest time tends to be boring and uneventful.
"Watching Jaune's life?"
Though, of all things that she had expected, that was never included in her list of wacky daydream's fantasy.
"Is this some kind of silly joke?"
The heat in Weiss's voice was raising up as she frowned at their... host and honestly, Ruby can't blame her. A moment ago, they were just about to start their day with almost no burden at all. No assignment from Dr. Oobleck, no detention with Ms. Goodwitch and absolutely free from listening Professor Port's mindnumbing tales.
All in all, it was a peaceful day for their otherwise busy schedule as Huntsman's in training, even if it tends to be too calm for her taste. Holiday is holiday y'know!
At least the weird looking guy mentioned something that piqued her interest.
"Wait, where is Jaune!"
Yeah that was the weird thing. If her team as a whole was in here, then shouldn't JNPR team also complete with all of their member's? It was increasingly more weird when she noticed Penny was here.
"Salutation, friend Ruby!" The peppy girl greeted her amidst the bickering between her other friends and their kidnapper.
"Hey Penny, how are you holding up?"
"My complete internal scanning revealed that I suffered zero damage or in under no malevolent effect, friend Ruby. What about you, friend Ruby?"
"Eh, not much. Still the same. Strangely though, I'm not in the mood to join my team hounding our host." Somehow, she got the feelings that there was nothing they could do to get out of here. Well, it's not like she wanted to leave just yet anyway, "Say, are you curious about what Jaune have to do with any of this?"
"I do! Sadly, I found only very little information about friend Jaune in my data bank. Would you mind to tell me more about him."
"Sure!"
Idly, she began to recount everything that she knew about the blonde boy while watching her team and one particular Pyrrha exhausting themselves arguing against the weird looking guy. Penny was attentive to her words and somehow she got the image that she was writing down every single words that she said into a note or sort. Strange dialect and way of speaking aside, Penyy was an incredible listener if she want to.
There's nothing much to say about Jaune other thn that he's a dork, her first male bestfriend and an aspiring Huntsman with more than enough passion to become a hero, even if it looks like he wasn't very talented at it. The rest of him was easy enough to figure out. Kind, caring and maybe a little bit jumpy. Though, she had to admit, in battlefield, between the two of them, June had a better spatial awareness than her.
Maybe that's why he got to be a team leader despite not being that good in fighting.
"As much as I enjoy hearing your rant and bickering, we would never get anywhere if we continue to do this. Regardless, if you pretty folks feels like to do it, do find me in the mean time. For now, I request of you to just enjoy the show and learn anything that you can from this."
With a snap of its finger, the dark wall at the front of the room suddenly lit up like a giant screen of cinema.
"Ohhh! A movie!" The strangely quiet Nora finally spoke, cooing in awe at the large screen.
For a moment, everyone went silent and waited for the things to come with bated breath. Whether it's because of excitement or surprise, Ruby wasn't sure but she knows that her reaction fit the former.
Maybe there was something about Jaune that none of them knows. Like Jaune being a secretly super strong Huntsman hiding his identity!? Or maybe he had that unfair bloodline power that has been passed down for hundred years!?
"I have never been to a cinema before..." side, Penny murmured lowly under her breath.
"Well, there's always a first time for everything, right?" Ignoring the strange fact of her newest friend's lack of experience, Ruby gave her an excited smile.
"Indeed." And the orange head answered in kind, her voice gettinh higher than before, "And I have to admit, the prospect to know more about friend Jaune does indeed excited me! From what you told me, he sounds like quite a pleasant company, friend Ruby."
He is, he is." Ruby nodded, "Look, it's starting soon."
-oOo-
Blood red glinted from within the dark the moment the screen began to dim. Unfathomably, the wall seemed to writhe and pulse, as if it was alive and breathing. What exactly is this place?
The screen suddenly panned away, slowly revealing more and more of the living wall until it spun around and stopped the moment it came to sight a monument or some sort. No, it resembled... a throne? The back of a throne more than anything else.
Adorned with human skulls and proturding spikes of bones, it was an amalgamation, with remains of the dead piled together that formed a macabre art and idol for the deranged.
"I don't like where this is going..." Qrow murmured under his breath, feeling more threatened now that he doesn't have his weapon in his side.
A pool of inky black color suddenly opened up, crimson iris dilated with surprise before a surge of power comes from within it. And the screen moved once again, away from the pulsing eyes that struck fear and terror into the heart of all beholders.
And the Lady was finally revealed.
"T-that's-!"
"Salem." Ozpin grimly stated, the carefree and nonchalant air around him faded in an instance.
"You." Her voice echoed, with coldness and hatred dripping freely out of her mouth.
"Salem." A familiar voice yet known not to them replied back to the Grimm woman.
"Wait, Mr. Arc." Glynda was the first to notice, being terribly too familiar with the squeaky voices thanks to his manly scream he never forget to let out in combat.
Even if all of the mentioned traits were nowhere to be found.
"That's... Weiss' classmate is it not?"
"Also the weakest one that is." Another grim answer escaped Ozpin's lips, his face a mask of impassiveness, hiding a resigned acceptance and sorrow that rained his heart. Another life, sacrificed.
Though, from the looks of it, he can't just discount another, far more brighter possibility that might happen there. Who knows, miracle does happen at the bleakest of times.
"For a mere child playing as a knight in shining armor, you have been quite a thorn on my side with your little merry band. What plot do you plan to employ now to escape from your inevitable demise, child?"
Chuckle reverberated through the dark hall, accompanying the heavy steeps of Jaune's boots. He was far from what they remembered. The black, well-worn hoodie that he wore before was gone, replaced by a full set of white and golden armour. It was far from pristine condition though, littered with scratches and no small amount of rust covering it, a far cry to what the boy may envision to be.
Or more accurately the man rather than a mere boy. Lanky and scraggly no more, the rusted armour that he wore must have hidden the physiue of formidable warrior. Broad shoulders and firm posture, like a veteran walking through a battlefield with nothing but ease.
His hair was let loose, reaching his chin with a few strands of white mixing in between. It was quite a combination with the full beard that he sported, causing anyone seeing him wondering just how much time has passed from their current time.
Yet the strangest of all is the emotion painted on his face. If he had worn a scowl or at least a frown, he must have a formidable visage worthy of a great hero. But as of now, his face wasn't that of warrior wielding vengeance in hands. His cerulean eyes, while dulled a little, showed nothing but serenity.
As if he was a man ready for his time.
"Plot? I think you misunderstood something right now." He spoke, with light steps and calm composure as if he was not speaking with the master of all Grimm at the moment.
"Oh? So you're planning to... surrender, and beg for your life? Not very knightly of you, child. Makes me wonder how will your little group of friends reacted to such betrayal. They are fighting Cinder out there, are they not?"
"They are, your pet has been quite troublesome with her fire, you know." Jaune nodded, as if speaking to a friend about a pest poblem that he had yesterday.
"I have trained her well, obviously. Alas, she's the only one I have left, thanks to you for killing Tyrian." Salem's pale face contorted slightly with distaste.
"That Tyrian? The psychopath...?" Qrow murmured.
"No wonder, really. Knowing just how insane he was, it was a surprise we haven't found out his affiliation much sooner. Seems like we have to prioritize his capture more thn before."
"We already did, Jimmy. I have hunted him for all this years. The bastard is just that good at running away."
"And killing people. His killcount has exceeded hundred, that's not even counting the numbers of those we failed to record."
"Not without everyone's help, of course not without everyon-"
"As much as I enjoy this conversation that we had, let's not dawdle any more longer, Arc. We do have a term to discuss, no?"
"Mr. Arc, you're not being serious right...?" Glynda scowled at the screen, voice questioning the man behind the screen even if he can't hear it.
"Eh, why are you so surprised, Glynda? Third-rate huntsman, bastard like him, always went behind your back to slip a dagger into your ass to save their own skin." With a raise of his flask, Qrow took a sip of his cheap booze before continuing with a frown, "That's why I always went to a mission alone. That, and my Semblance too."
"I think we're being too impatient here, Qrow." Ozpin suddenly spoke, "There's something at the moment, something we know not yet."
"Yes. First thing first...
I will offer you my life."
"Hoh?"
"See?"
"Curious. You're not trying to save yourself? Your loved ones perhaps? Well, I'm almost disappoin-"
"Second, I want to see Ruby, all of my friend and the people of Remnant to be alive." Salem dropped her smile at the sudden intrusion, frowning at the man.
And the said man did the same.
"And third," His gaze, as sharp as blade and as cold as steel, was set at the Dark Lady. Unreadable and ominous. "I want you to die right now."
"Ohhh, getting into the good part aren't we?"
"I remember you lauding him as third-rate huntsman, Qrow. Where's your snark now?" Winter japped with a little smirk on her face that widened a little more when the man tried to argue back.
"You two, shut up. Something's happening." And Glynda snapped at them nefore the man could give his retort.
Silent settled between them as the two gazed at one another, waiting for someone, or something, to happen. Salem's eyes glinted with suspicion, trying to peer into the steel cold blue that stared calmly at her. Something telling her she won't like what will happen next.
"So plot it is-"
"Domain Expansion: Purgatory."
"That-!" Ozpin flew from his seat, eyes staring in wonder at the screen.
"What is it, Oz?" Qrow didn't get his answer.
Something suddenly surged from Jaune. Something powerful and tremendous. Before a veil of black flew from his back and enveloped the hall, trapping the two of them in a circle black.
Inside, Salem could only stare at the man, flabbergasted and taken off guard. This is something that she never expected to see, never expected to happen. How in the entire world this man could do this was... beyond her.
Meanwhile, Jaune, with his hand clasped together as if praying suddenly levitated. A shadow looked behind his back and yellowish light appeared here and there. Something suddenly fell from his eyes, trailing down his cheeks and dripping down his cheek.
"Have you ever heard a tale of a fair maiden from Orleans before."
The shadow behind his back turned into a figure, of an object, of an idol or some sort. A cross of wood, fragile and worn-out in appearance, appeared behind his back.
"Of a hero lauded as the champion of light. Righteous hand of God."
Yellowish glow suddenly gathered around it, catching it on fire and setting it ablaze. Slowly but surely, the little light around their surroundings become more bright and bigger, flickering and dancing in the air. Like an ember burning ablaze.
"Of a witch who meets her end on a stake. Burned until she was no more."
And then, before they know it, the place has turned into a hellish landscape, with burning flames with bloody red sky and dark clouds up above.
"This is her last blessing, her mercy for humanity."
Information suddenly surged into Salem's brain. Overwhelming for a moment before it had finally settled in her mind. The moment it had finished being processed, Salem screamed bloody murder.
"YOU!"
Jaune chuckled with mirth despite the flame catching up on him. His armour melted and dripped down like a water, falling unto the scorched ground. The burning cross behind his back, twisted and turned around him, hugging him from behind. The arms circled around his arms, the head settled on his shoulder and what remains twisted unto his hips and right leg.
The flame was burning him, alive.
It was slow, but his skin slowly showed a sign of burn wound.
They all stared at the screen, horrified and repulsed. Jaune wasn't safe from his own power, whatever it is, and the damage wasn't something that can just be ignored. As experienced as they are in battlefield, seeing real wound, with blood and all that gory, was never a sight they want to see.
Why didn't he use his aura to protect himself? Why did he do this in the first place? What is he thinking?
"Oz, you obviously know what's happening here, so please tell me, what the heck is that!"
Ozpin stared silently at the man, weighting his answer for a moment before settling for the truth, "That is Domain Expansion. An ages old art that was lost in times. An ability to create a pocket dimension, where you're the sole master of it."
Purgatory.
As the name implies, it is in itself is a Purgatory. Where all is cleansed with fire. Before they finally step into the Heaven.
"By creating a barrier, the user can manifest their inner soul, their semblance into the world. Sounds simple, yes, but it was more than just that."
So what does that mean for Salem?
"It's amplified, strengthened, the user's semblance to something out of this world, something beyond reasoning, that breaks the laws of reality for the whim of the users."
It's mean that she will be cleansed. Purified. Purged. Of all of her sin.
Before she goes to the Heaven.
"BASTAAARRRDD!"
"It usually has some conditions to complete or some sort though, but most of the times, it only sacrificed a great amount of your Aura to activate and after you activated it, your Aura is mostly useless for the entire day, or more. Who knows."
"It's also the power I used at the last battle of Great War, where the King of Vale, me, descended."
"Wonderful thing right? This is my great ancestor's, Jeanne d'Arc, last act of kindness before she was wrongly prosecuted, burned on stakes. Yet, even after such betrayal, she still wished for the best for humanity. And with her atop that stakes, she carries all sins with her, to be cleansed."
"I WILL KILL YOU!" Salem shouted, shadow raised from beneath her feet and lashed out, like a writhing tentacle of eldritch being.
Jaune simply raised his hand at her and smiled, "No need, I will accompany you there."
"Hold on, what?"
"So that's the condition, huh? I suppose he had called it 'the Flame that Burned All' for a reason after all." Smile graced Ozpin lips as he watched with sadness in his eyes.
"Does that mean-!?"
"Yes." Ozpin grimly nodded. "Yes..."
Salem knows that her situation was beyond hopeless, or at least her subconsciousness did. If only that she could employ her own Domain, there might be a chance to fight against the crazy child. Alas, her semblance disappeared away along with her soul and humanity.
And at that moment, Salem cursed everything yet once again. Just like that day where she was cursed with her affliction, with Grimm and darkness. She cursed everything. The Brothers Gods. Ozma. Jaune Arc. Anything that has been a her side for all this moment.
At that moment, Salem the dark lady was no more. Just a woman who wailed and lashed out to everything that fate has cursed her with. Her visage no longer resembled human, like a monstrous demon coming from the hell itself. Hideous and terrifying.
Salem leaped up with wings made out of shadow sprouting out of her back. The flames catches on her and she bit down the hiss that threatened to escaped her lips. And with her hand, she swiped at Jaune, launching a wave of spiky shadow at the burning man.
Flame slowly gathered in front of Jaune's hand before taking a form of sword, brilliant and blazing. He swung it at the offending shadow, splitting it into two great waves that crashed down into the scorched ground.
"DIE!"
A shout was the only warning for what's to come. A large beam of red cut through the air and brushed against Jaune's right side, leaving nothing behind but a charred flesh. Jaune simply regarded her pulverized side with a calm glance, before chuckling without a mirth. It may have been because of Salem being drowned in rage that he was still alive, or perhaps he survived simply out of luck. Regardless...
"...I guess I shouldn't have been too confident." His mouth set into a straight line. "Time to end this."
There was no time left. He should finish her before he died from his own flame. Even now he could see how some part of his body had started to fall apart, charred or even scorched away revealing what his skin hid.
Power surged from within Jaune as the flame grows hotter and bigger. Flame gathered around him, forming another great weapon in his hand.
At first it looked like nothing more than just a rod of flame. But it slowly become clearer. The form was much more distinguished than his former weapon, with ornate design and part that showed regality. Yet an essence of holiness seemes to radiate from it. From the pointed tip of it, fire bloomed and flickered, giving form to something that... flows in the air.
A Flag. A Battle Standard.
"Luminosité Eternelle"
The look on Salem's face was of confusion and wonder. She knows not what is it, or what it can do. Yet it was a beautiful sight laid upon. A radiant light brighter and warmer than the ray of morrow sun. Relief bloomed from within her blackened heart, and her corrupted soul yearned it for more.
But there was something else within her heart. Something that struck fear into her. Even without knowing what exactly that thing do, she could feels dread began to fill her mind with sense of self-preservation. And with that instinct driving her, she lashed forward in mad attempt to stop the Burning Man.
"Rest well, Salem. Your sin is no more."
A mirage of a woman with angelic wings hugged Jaune from behind before they both slightly lifted the banner up.
And tapped the ground with its base.
Blinding light shone from the screen, nearly blinding them all. The viewers are forced to shut their eyes, covering it from the danger of visual impairment while waiting for the light to dissipate away.
The moment it did, they immediately looked at the screen with curiousity... and hope.
The burning landscape has gone now, replaced by the terrifying hall of the Dark Lady's throne room.
The said lady, however, was in state that no one ever expected to see. She laid down on the floor, broken, literally so, while staring lifelessly into nothing. Her monstrous form, marred with magical crack that slowly spread across her, began to crumble pieces by pieces into dusts, like a sand castle eroded by time.
Ethereal glow came out of what remains of her, and suddenly, something astral emerged from the empty husk.
A beautiful woman, with enchanting blue eyes and flowing golden locks, smiled with visible relief.
"Salem..." Ozpin whispered under his breath, a familiar sense of longing and sadness clouded his mind and gaze.
She set her watery eyes towards the screen, towards where Jaune was standing and uttered a pair of a words.
"Thank you."
Before she disappears with the wind.
A loud sigh escaped Jaune's lips, before the sight on the screen began to blur slightly.
"...I'm glad that it's done now..."
The perspective on the screen looked upwards, into the gaps around the ceiling that revealed the sky beyond. Gone was the eerie glow of crimson up above, replaced by a warm rays of sunlight slipping through whatever room there was to illuminate the darkness.
The Bad End has been stopped.
"...no..."
But a voice suddenly called for him from behind.
-oOo-
Ruby doesn't like what she was seeing. She doesn't want to see it. But she can't.
Because it might as well be her last time seeing him with her own eyes.
She wanted to close her eyes shut, to ignore the noises and voices or just to stop the streaming water that dripped down her chin. But she can't. For her own sake.
"...Jaune..."
Her voice cracked when she called for him. It was an embarrassing pitch, but she doesn't paid it mind in the slightest.
"Ruby."
There he was. A hero, just like how he wanted to be in the end.
Ruby hated that.
"...no, no, no, no-"
Like broken recording, she repeated it again and again in denial. This is just a dream. She whispered into her mind and began to run at him, not even remembering that she can just use her semblance to catch unto him. She just run, run as fast as ze can. With smallest hope that maybe, maybe there was a chance.
"You've got it from here."
But she was too slow, she was too far away from him.
"NO!"
Her fists slammed uselessly against the screen. And it hurts. She wished it would hurts more. She hoped it would hurt more than what she felt in her chest right now.
There stood Jaune, broken and burnt. His right arm was nowhere to be found with charred bone poking out of his shoulder. His skin blackened from burn wound, some even gone, showing some glimpse of seared fleshes and bones.
And even if half of his face was destroyed by flame, leaving a half-skull and face in place, Jaune's smile was just as beautiful as she remembered.
Warm and comforting.
It did very little to alleviate her grief.
Ruby cried. Cried her heart out as she sobbed loudly, calling him until her voice run dry while praying to Gods that this was just a dream. To hell with the end of the world. To hell with killing the big bad grimm lady. To hell with being a hero.
Ruby just don't want to see her friend, to see her first friend die like that.
As she looked up into those blue eyes, that even after his death showed nothing but warmth to her, Ruby wished once more that this was just a dream and the moment she woke up, everything will come back to normal.
That's her last thought before a weak whisper of "...jaune.." escaped her lips, and exhaustion took over her body.
-oOo-
Have something to say? Please tell me more at the review, or PM me if you want to. I just that desperate for social interaction, really.
Anyway, thanks for coming here.